Jews

Israel and the Jewish people have been miraculously resilient over the millennia having survived attack after attack from her enemies near and far. Although they’ve been dispersed to the four corners of the earth, somehow they have maintained their unique Jewish identity and are now regathering in the land of Israel just as the Bible said would happen. Against all odds, the Jews have retained their ancient religion, culture and original language.

Numerous prophecies have been fulfilled over the last century, but one of the most exciting is Isaiah 43: 5-6. In that passage, the Lord is speaking through the prophet Isaiah, declaring that He will bring the descendants of Israel from the east, the west, the north, and the south.

Where are all of the Christians who should be standing for right and against wrong? Where are all of the Christians who should be standing for Israel? G-d Himself in Genesis 12:3 said, “I will bless those who bless you (Israel) and the one who curses you (does not stand) I will curse.”

A basic premise of Christian faith and roots has everything to do with Israel. To ignore Israel is to shun G-d’s word of an eternal covenant with His Chosen People, the Jews, and an eternal covenant cannot be broken. Our silence in our own countries also affects Israel, its land and people. It is imperative that Christians all over the world stand and contend for Israel.

While it’s no longer news, it’s still shockingly unbelievable that President Obama and the P5+1 group (United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, France and Germany), have agreed to a nuclear deal with Iran; the world’s largest supporter and exporter of terror. Iran currently has a nuclear program in place and, despite denials from the White House, this new deal has opened a pathway for Iran to enrich weapons-grade uranium and be ready with a nuclear bomb in ten years or less. Furthermore, part of the nuclear deal will lift current economic sanctions resulting in a windfall to Iran in excess of one hundred and fifty billion dollars.

Like so many of America's universities, North Carolina's Duke University began with a strong Judeo-Christian foundation. But, also like many of those universities, Duke has strayed from its original values.

In 2004 Duke raised eyebrows for sponsoring a Palestinian Solidarity Movement conference. As one might imagine, the movement promoted divestment from Israel and supported the outrageous claim that "Zionism is racism." The conference sold T-shirts calling for the destruction of Israel.

Many religious and political discussion forums are taking place across America and around the world in an attempt to foster understanding and tolerance between Christians, Jews and Muslims. I, too, am a proponent of the concept of understanding. To be able to co-exist with Muslims, Christians and Jews and the West in general must possess more than a surface or media-generated understanding of the Islamic mindset. What I have observed coming from these forums thus far clearly indicates that we are failing to grasp even the basics principals necessary to understand Islamic thought and reasoning.

Many stories of justice and of God overcoming evil fill the Bible, God’s Holy Word. One of the most dramatic and best known is the amazing defeat of the giant Goliath by David in I Samuel 17. David was a shepherd boy who miraculously vanquished the mocking giant Goliath on a battlefield in Israel. “The battle is the Lord’s,” shouted David as he hurled the fatal stone from his simple slingshot into Goliath’s forehead. The giant crumpled dead onto the battlefield floor. With this heroic feat and his simple trust in the Lord, David saved the Army and the nation of Israel from destruction.